Hot stuff at BTA auction
The recent British Toy Auctions sale saw a huge number of Mattel’s famous Hot Wheels models go to new owners. Whilst the majority were close to mint and loose, some rather exceptional cars were pristine and still under blisters – and made impressive money as a result. An unopened original carded Redline Classic Cord in apple green was one example. A US manufactured car, it was billed as mint on a very good card backing with some light creasing. It achieved £480 plus commission. Another carded Redline, also unopened, was the ShowN-Go series Carabo in magenta. This Hong Kong made model was also mint on a very good card and settled on £460.
If slot racing is your interest, then the boxed Scalextric C3212 Ford Escort Mk1 1969 'Broadspeed' produced for the NSCC Event Team UK Slotcar Festival 2012 might have appealed. Obviously a very limited edition, this iconic Ford aroused much interest and realised £440.
Plenty of unmade kits also went under the hammer, which were sold off in mixed lots and included examples by Heller, Airfix, Frog, Hasegawa and Monogram. For the ladies, several lots were given over to Barbie dolls: £100 was the winning bid on a quartet of boxed 'Collector Edition' and 'Limited Edition' Barbies, comprising No.24994 'Hanae Mori Barbie'; No.28534 'Ferrari Barbie'; No.25639 'Fairey of the Forest Barbie' and No.53975 'Barbie 2002'.
Two unboxed vintage 1978 12'' Star Wars action figures by Kenner, comprising C3PO and R2D2, stood out at the sale: contained within a custom made grading level quality acrylic display case, which included original ephemera plus original Death Star plans, the lot was fought over to £400. ■